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Transcription from Original

WHEREAS at a grand assembly held at James Citty, September
10th 1663, it was provided that where any murther was committed by the Indians upon
the English, the next towne of the Indians was to use their utmost endeavours for
discovering the actors and doers thereof, and in regard the said act was

— page 219 —

only lymitted upon the northern Indians. This grand assembly have thought fitt to enact and be it enacted that the
said law be made a generall law against all Indians whatsoever, and where any
murthers be committed upon the English, the next towne is to use all their care and
diligence in finding the doers and actors of the said murthers. And
be it further enacted that if any Englishman is murthered, the next towne
shalbe answerable for it with their lives or liberties to the use of the publique,
and that the right honourable the governour be humbly requested forthwith to
impower such persons as his honour shall think fitt in each county on such occasions
for putting the said law into imediate execution, and that it be made knowne to all
Indians whatsoever by these persons soe commitionated within two months after the
said law is in force. And be it further enacted by this grand
assembly that the said Indians shall not have power within themselves to
elect or constitute their owne Werowance or chiefe commander,
but the present honourable governour and his successors from time to time shall
constitute and authorize such person in whose fidelity they may finde greatest cause
to repose a confidence to be the comander of the respective townes; And in case the
Indians shall refuse their obedience to, or murther such person, then that nation of
Indians soe refuseing or offending to be accompted enemies and rebells and to be
proceeded against accordingly. And whereas the careles manner of the English in going
unarmed into churches, courts, and other publique meetings may probably in time
invite the Indians to make some desperate attempt upon them, It is
further enacted that the honourable the governour be requested to issue his
commands to the officers of the militia to take care to prevent the same; And it is further enacted that any person or persons that shall
harbour, entertaine, or imploy any Indian, shalbe fined five thousand pounds of
tobacco or suffer one yeares imprisonment without bayle or maineprise, unles such as
shall give suffitient security to the county courts, and upon such security obteyne a
certificate from the said court, and upon that certificate a lycence from the
governour. And whereas by the former articles of agreement, it was provided that no
Indians which are seated on the southside of James

— page 220 —

river should come over the Black water
or the southerne branches thereof, It is hereby enacted that
the said bounds from the head of Black water to the Apamatack Indian towne and thence cross the river to the Monikon towne be the bounds of the Indians on the southside of James river.

Author

General Assembly

Transcription Source

William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large; Being a
Collection of All the Laws of Virginia from the First Session of the Legislature
in the Year 1619 (New York: R. & W. & G. Bartow, 1823),
2:218–220.